Raintree: Oracle (Raintree 4)

Why had she never noticed this before?

Because someone instructed you, in an entirely magical way, not to.

The voice in the back of her head spoke the truth, and she knew it. Why? Why would the residents of Cloughban bother to hide so much from her? She was Raintree, magic was an everyday part of her life. She would never judge, or try to take advantage, or point and whisper...

The timing was terrible, but there it was—that tickle at the back of her brain that warned her another vision was coming. She left her unfinished coffee and pastry sitting on the small round table and started walking toward the pub. After a few seconds she began to walk faster, then she jogged. Desperate, hurried, she caught a glimpse of herself in the boutique window, but did not look inside to see if Brigid was watching. It would be best if no one saw her and wondered what had her in such a rush.

If they knew what she was, would they judge? Take advantage? Point and whisper?

At the moment there was only one important question: Did she have time to make it to Ryder before she lost all control?

Her vision began to go gray around the edges. She could see the path ahead of her, and nothing more. She kept her eyes on the side of the building she hoped to—needed to—reach before it was too late. Jogging wasn’t going to get her there soon enough. She began to run. Faster, harder. A month ago, she could not have made it this far; her lessons must be helping, at least a little.

By the time she reached the door to the Drunken Stone her body was more numb than not and she could barely see at all. She remained in control, for now, but barely. The entire world was going gray; there was no sound but the rush of blood through her veins.

She tugged hard, but the door was locked. She knocked, pounded, called Ryder’s name. Come on, Duncan, she thought, trying to send him a message. Wake up. Answer the damn door!

She couldn’t wait any longer, and she didn’t want to collapse here, at the door. Someone might see, someone would see, and she was far too vulnerable while she was in the midst of a vision. Stumbling, she made her way around the corner, behind the far side of the building where she wouldn’t be seen by those walking the square. Completely numb, entirely out of control, she sank to her knees and allowed the vision to take her.

Cold. It was so cold. Within the vision, she stood and looked around her. Front, back, all around. She didn’t recognize where she was. Panic wouldn’t help her now! Deep breath. Control.

She was in a field, Ireland green, she understood, even though in this world, in this time and place, it was night. She stopped, lifted her head and focused on the scene ahead. It continued to form, taking shape as she watched.

There were stones in the near-distance, stones that were tall and gray and powerful. Incredibly powerful. They were not haphazardly arranged, but formed a circle. An almost-perfect circle, she knew even though she saw the stones from the side, not from above. One of them, the largest stone, was the one she’d glimpsed in the pages of a very old book. A book she had not been allowed to read.

In the center of the circle of stones stood a dark figure. As the scene continued to unfold, it remained maddeningly unclear. She couldn’t see a face, just a tall, dark, indistinct shape.

Mists danced and then converged, finally allowing her to see more. That dark form held a knife in one hand and a child in the other.

Cassidy.

Snow began to fall. Fat, white flakes that dropped silently from a cold sky as Echo began to run toward the stone circle. As in a nightmare, she ran as hard as she could but moved no closer. How could she help the child if she couldn’t reach her? Ryder had joined her in a vision once; he’d helped her. Could she help this little girl here and now?

Hair wild, eyes unnaturally wide, Cassidy looked directly at Echo and said, in a whisper that sent a fog of warm breath into the cold air, “Save me.”

For the first time ever, Echo felt herself being pulled out of the vision before she was ready to go. She fought to stay, to see more. To reach Cassidy. Where was she? When? Already she knew she was not too late. This had not happened, was not going to happen immediately. The event was so far out it might not happen at all if she did what needed to be done. How could she know which steps would lead to Cassidy’s safety? What was she supposed to do?

Echo heard a new noise—quickly approaching footsteps—and realized she was no longer alone. She turned her head and there was Ryder, running, running, then screaming. Snow fell so fast and thick now it was like a curtain that threatened to hide the details of this vision from her.

Cassidy screamed, her high-pitched voice cutting through it all. “Da!”

Ryder ran hard, but he could not run fast enough. He lifted a hand to his throat, tore the leather cord so that the stone that always rested there flew away. Through the falling snow, the stone spun. It was gone. Ryder changed...

Echo’s eyes popped open and there he was. Ryder Duncan in the flesh, leaning over her, calling her name. He looked worried. His hair was mussed and he was sweating and breathing heavily as if he’d been running as he had in her vision. Her breath came hard and fast, her heart was pounding, she was still cold—but her tho

ughts were focused on one truth.

He’d lied to her, more than once. He’d kept secrets. How many, she had no way of knowing.

As he helped her to her feet she pushed away her earlier, silly list of pros and cons. He tried to hold her close but she slipped away and said, without looking him in the eye, “You lied to me. Cassidy is your daughter.”

Chapter 13

Echo refused to look directly at him. He reached for her, tried to gently force her to face him, but she slipped away. He’d been so scared to find her on the ground, shaking and moaning while caught in a vision. He’d been attempting to join her, as he had once before, when she’d opened her eyes.

Now she stood with her arms crossed and her back to him, her voice so soft he had to strain to her. She said, “Cassidy’s in danger.”

Rye’s heart jumped in his chest. “What do you mean? I just left her.” He spun around, ready to run back the way he’d come.